Dialog on fishery relations between Morocco and European Union resumes by end of september

Dialog between Morocco and the European Union will resume by the end of current September to explore possibilities for new relations in matters of fisheries.

The announcement was made here Thursday by Moroccan minister of Foreign Affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa, who is paying a short working visit to Spain.

Dialog between Morocco and the European Union will resume by the end of current September to explore possibilities likely to help seek new relations in matters of fisheries, Benaissa said at a joint news conference with his Spanish peer, Josep pique.

Morocco declined to renew the fisheries accord that was binding it to the European Union when it expired on November 30, 1999, forcing to berth nearly 600 European trawlers, mainly Spanish and Portuguese, that used to operate in Moroccan waters.

Morocco had told the Union the two sides should seek a new partnership preserving the Kingdom's sea resources and Moroccan officials and fisheries professionals argue that the new partnership should seek the promotion of joint ventures in fisheries-related sectors such as shipyards, ships maintenance, and sea-food processing, in addition to fish-farming.

Benaissa underlined the economic, social and political impact of fisheries on both Morocco and Spain but said besides this sector, there are so many fields of understanding and cooperation between the two countries and so many resources to be jointly exploited in the frame of friendship, complementarity and solidarity.

In the frame of dialog between Morocco and the European Union, the Union must take into account the new situation of the fisheries sectors, he said adding that the Moroccan 2000-2004 five year development plan grants a special interest to the sector.

Technical discussions on fisheries were held last July 25 in Rabat between Morocco and the European Union to clarify the two sides' stands on the future of bilateral cooperation in the field.

The Moroccan side said after the meeting that the gap was still wide between Morocco's stand and proposals by the European Union but the two sides will maintain contact.

According to a Spanish study made public in mid-August, the catches of the Spanish fleet that used to operate in Moroccan grounds amounted to nearly 200,000 tons every year.